South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-05-20
THE HAIR TRADE.
Some Facts About the Bust.
ness in New York.
hair Used in Making Switches Etc
Comes Principally from Europa

ZONES frincipaiiy nom Europa
The word bangs and woman are pref
ty generally associated with each other.
1t is not exactly appropriate that new
bang should be called the ''willics," but
1t is. This bang is woven on network
OF fine hair, with a short, strai ght cut in
front, parted in the middle, and is worn
by the "Willics," or the dudes of the
town. Hence the name. But this class
OF humanity will not draw the line at
bangs. Some energetic vcntilators on
hair work have devised and woven ali
the latest cuts on whiskcrs, and this
season at the watering places the Willies
may vie with the counts and lords in
full-grown English cuts. The wind
blows through moro false whiskers than
persons not in the hair business would
imagine.
A person unacquaintcd with the hair
business forms no idea OF the hard work
poor girls do in these stores and for very
little pay. The class of workers are what
is known tothc business ms "weavers and
ventiiators Weavcrs are employed to
straightcn cut hair and form it into
switches. These girls earn from a to So
per week. ''Ventila.ors" make fine
network Of Ia ir. upon which they work
In bangs, wigs, and from. pieces, recciv-
ing the same pay as the wcavers. The
hair used for making switches, bangs.
etc., is rincipaly mt from Bremen.
Over there people have their hair cut
every few months, and get good prices
Tor 1t. This, with what is taken from
DEAD people, is almost sufficient TO sun
ply the American market. Some dealers
use yack or goats hair with the real hair,
but it is not durable. 1t is soft and
fragile, and is used mostly in making
wigs for masqueradcs.
This business OF hairmaking is a fear
iui strain upon the eyes, and for this
reason, together with the small pay it
brings, very few girls learn the trade.
All half stores in the city arc supplied
with wigs of every color of hair for pri-
vatc theatr!cals and masquerades. These
they rent for 81 night. There arc
many persons in the city, too, who for
lack OF natural hair are obliged to wear
wigs. A prominent railroad official.
who frequently visits New York, wears
very natural blond wig. He is fault
lessly neat in p rson and exact in man
ner. While discussing the interstate
commerce ILL with two young ladies
who wanted passes at his oflicc ono day
his secret was disc ovcred, the wig having
become sadly disarrauged. He was
much chagrincd, as all persons are who
wear wigs and their vanity is found out.
There is certain secrecy with persons
WHO wear false hair that they can't quite
overcome. A young lady came into the
store while the reporter stood there. and
in low tone of voice scd she wanted to
get her Lair, which was golden yellow,
dyed back TO is original brown color.
For" added she. 'Clcllie's got home.
and he don't like my hair bcached."
But strange as it may seem, false hair
docs not Only extend to bangs and
switches, but eyebrows as well. 1t has
come TO pass now that a person cannot
tell whether a man or woman wears his
or her own eyebrow or not. There arc
several people in this city who have
undergone the painful operation of hav-
ing eyebrows crocheted to their skin.
The skin is raised, the hair is inserted,
and when the required thickness is
reached the skin is let loose and allowed
to grow together again, holding The
hair fast in place, and having a natural
look. The pain, however, seems to be
nothing compared TO the modification OF
goiHg through the world eycbrowlcss.
There arc score of hair stores within
radius Of two blocks about the corne,
of Sixth avenue and Fourteenth street
The owner Of one Of these is an urbane
Frenchman who said: "Ah, nc repcr-
taire. Yer strange person &c reportair,
who come my store in last week. He pu
his hand his eyebrow on and say to mi
'Meester, would not you dees your eye
brow calir l say certainment. Zen h,
laugh and slap me 70 shoulder on an
gay, Veil. / wouldn't. / would call i
my eyebrow Zen he went laughing
very hart out."-N. Y. Sun.